Yesterday I journeyed with my friends Kathleen and Joey south along the Mississippi River from the Twin Cities to the little Wisconsin river town of Trempealeau.It was a cold, wet autumn day, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. For a start, it was just great to get out of the Cities and be immersed in the beauty of nature.
Above: Kathleen pictured beside Lake Pepin.
Above and right: The historic Trempealeau Hotel, which dates back to 1851.I must say that this hotel and its surrounds reminded me somewhat of the cafe, “Molly’s Reach,” in the Canadian TV series, The Beachcombers, which I remember watching as a kid in Australia!
Above and below: The village of Trepealeau is located next to Perrot State Park. Following is how this beautiful area is described by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Perrot State Park, where the Trempealeau River meets the Mississippi River, has 1,270 acres of diverse ecosystems. The river bank and surrounding wetlands provide wonderful habitat for the many migratory birds that travel through this area twice a year. Hardwood forests with mature black walnut, oak, and hickory are home to many animals, birds, and woodland wildflowers. Unique to southwestern Wisconsin and Perrot are the goat prairies perched high on the bluffs.
Above: Trempealeau Mountain - rising like some ancient tor from the mists of time!
Above: With Joey - who’s doing his very best to look like he’s “hanging tough”!
Above: At Perrot State Park we climbed Brady’s Bluff, the summit of which affords breathtaking views of Trempealeau Mountain and the surrounding river and marsh lands.At the top of Brady’s Bluff is a little stone shelter from which one can look out to the scene pictured below.
Above: Another view of Trempealeau Mountain.
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Climbing Barn Bluff
River Walk
A Delightful Summer’s Afternoon and a Moving Tale
Northwoods
Road Trip to St. Louis (Part 1)
Road Trip to St. Louis (Part 2)
Road Trip to St. Louis (Part 3)
Road Trip to St. Louis (Part 4)
Road Trip to St. Louis (Part 5)
Road Trip to St. Louis (Part 6)
Nice photos! It's interesting to see how different it is in the east coast. Out here the trees still have green leaves mostly and it's still in the low 70s.
ReplyDeleteHey, enjoy it while you can, Crystal!
ReplyDeletePeace,
Michael
But did you climb it?
ReplyDeleteI found your post while writing this recent post of mine.
Hi dmarks, thanks for the link. I enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteNo, my friends and I didn't climb Trempealeau Mountain, just nearby Brady Bluff. And from what you reported about the rattlesnakes, perhaps it's just as well we didn't!
Peace,
Michael